When Judas returns the thirty shekels of silver, the chief priests and elders tell him (in the NASB) “see to that yourself” (Matthew 27:4). Pilate says virtually the same thing to the Jews during the trial of Jesus: As he tries to wash off the stain of Jesus’ blood, . . . . Continue Reading »
INTRODUCTION Jesus predicted that His disciples would be “delivered” to Gentile kings and governors, and testify to them (Matthew 10:17-20). But it happens to Jesus first. The disciple is not above His master. Jesus the King goes first before the Gentiles. THE TEXT . . . . Continue Reading »
Zechariah ends with “In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of Yahweh of hosts.” How’d we get Canaanites in the house of the Lord to begin with? Sweeney points out that the LXX of Zechariah 11:7 assumes a different vowel-pointing than the MT, and thus . . . . Continue Reading »
A gloss on my comments on Matthew 27 earlier today: Judas is indeed an ironic version shepherd of Zechariah 11. He is hired by the merchant-shepherds for thirty pieces of silver (drawing again on Sweeney on Zechariah). Judas delivers up a lamb, the Lamb, to the priests to slaughter. . . . . Continue Reading »
Jesus’ condemnation of the temple as a “den of brigands” is drawn from Jeremiah’s temple speech. Because of the idolatries, injustices, and bloodthirstiness of the temple authorities, the temple is going to be destroyed. But the text might also hold a fainter allusion . . . . Continue Reading »
The best I can make, at this point, of Matthew’s strange conflated quotation of Jeremiah 18-19/Zechariah 11 in Matthew 27:9-10. Judas took thirty pieces of silver from the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus. Reading this in the light of Zechariah 11, we know that this expresses the contempt . . . . Continue Reading »
Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness , by Richard Thaler and Cass Sustein is about choice architecture: “A choice architect has the responsibility for organizing the context in which people make decisions . . . . If you design the ballot voters use to choose . . . . Continue Reading »
PROVERBS 28:20 This proverb, like many, is structured in parallel: The man of faithfulnesses is great with blessings But the one haste to be rich shall not be pure. The contrasts are revealing. Faithfulness is contrasted not with obvious terms like “disobedient” or . . . . Continue Reading »
A week ago, the First Things web site published a piece of mine on global warming. See it here: http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2010/02/climate-of-skepticism . . . . Continue Reading »
PROVERBS 28:17 The Proverb can be translated this, woodenly, in this way: “A man oppresses with the blood of the soul unto the pit he flees. Let no man hold him back.” Again, the proverb uses the word adam , and again we are put in mind of the sin of the first man. Adam’s sin . . . . Continue Reading »
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